Happiness at last for Cleese

The Monty Python star married Jennifer Wade – more than 30 years his junior – in the summer of 2012, and now insists she is the reason for his new-found contentment.

Cleese, who had a memorably costly divorce from Alyce Eichelberger, says: “Yes! I really am happy. It is the first time in my life – as I now realise – that I’ve been in love in a more mature kind of way, and the way that reduces the importance of everything else is quite extraordinary.”

Cleese, 75, who met jewellery designer Wade, 43, six years ago, adds: “And this experience of the last three or four years, after the continual series of disasters I’ve had romantically, well, it’s nice to know that at the age of 69 you can meet the love of your life.”